1.2 Terms of office of electoral commisisons 1.2.1 Duration of the mandate of the members of electoral commissions This item brings us to dealing with three issues: - Duration of the tenure of the members of the electoral commission, and the possibilities of re-appointment or re-election to this post - Duration of the electoral commission: is it a permanent body or an intermittent body which only exists during the period of election and disappears while awaiting the next one? - Conditions for the premature or anticipated stoppage of the function of the members of the electoral commission: resignation or dismissal 1.2.2 Tenure of members and duration of the commission Regarding the first two issues, the countries under study bring three different situations to the fore: In particular cases such as the ones in Benin, Niger and Mali, the electoral commission only has an intermittent existence. It is established on the eve of elections and disappears immediately after, to re-surface during the next elections. It is an institution which is re­constituted at a given interval. In Benin, the duration of the mandate is between 45 days(a month and a half) and 6 months, depending on the provision of the electoral laws and the date of the effective installation of the members of the commission. Nevertheless, there is a'Permanent Administrative 33